Tyger, Tyger, Burning Bright. . .

In the forests of the night;

What immortal hand or eye,

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

The Tyger, William Blake, 1794

We know who framed the fearful symmetry of this majestic tiger, famed Texas artist William Kelly Fearing (1918-2011). These photographs do not capture the beauty and power of this great cat in captured by Kelly in alert response. 

Titled "Tiger Day and Night," 

. . . the piece is signed and dated by Fearing.

It is numbered "24/32," indicating that this work is the twenty-fourth print from a limited edition of thirty-two.

Fearing studied art at Louisiana Tech University, subsequently earning his a master’s degree at Columbia University in New York City. In 1943, he moved to Fort Worth, where he joined the "Fort Worth Circle," a group of artists who experimented with contemporary art concepts, such as surrealism and modernism. During this period, Fearing became interested in metaphysics and his works often have a mystical or spiritual feel. He taught art at Texas Wesleyan University, but in 1947 moved to the University of Texas art department in Austin, where he joined artists such as Charles Umlauf in defining Texas mid-century modernism. Fearing retired in 1987 as professor emeritus, but continued to create art. Throughout  his long career, Fearing experimented with a wide variety of media, from print making to found-object collages. 

Fearing was a major influence in introducing modern art concepts in Texas. Not only did he mentor his students during his decades as an art professor, Fearing inspired future generations by founding The University of Texas Junior Art Project, a visual arts program offering children free, university-based instruction and exposure to the arts.  His artwork has been featured in numerous exhibitions throughout the United States and is included in many private and public collections including the Blanton Museum of Art, the Dallas Museum of Art, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.  In 2007, Fearing received the prestigious E. William Doty Award from the College of Fine Arts at The University of Texas at Austin, recognizing his extraordinary professional achievement and dedication to the College of Fine Arts.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

14951-64

You'll Flip Your Lid!

 Over our amazing stash of fine Stetson hats, still in their iconic boxes.

Although the Stetson name has long been synonymous with cowboy hats, it wasn't until 1970 that Stetson hats were actually made in Texas, more specifically in Garland. The John B. Stetson Company was founded originally in Philadelphia by John B. Stetson in 1865. Born in 1830, Stetson's father was a hatter and Stetson worked with him until, as a young man, he was told to go West for his health. While panning for gold in Colorado, Stetson used his hat-making experience to create a wide-brimmed hat with a tall crown out of felted fur. Although his companions originally mocked him for his unusual headwear, they were soon impressed by how well the hat kept its shape, protected the wearer from the sun, and helped insulate him from rain, as well as both heat and cold. After selling his original hat to a passing cowboy for the then-princely sum of $5.00, Stetson returned to Philadelphia and, using money borrowed from his sister, started a hat company, reproducing his design in felt, which he named the "Boss of the Plains." The waterproof, lightweight hat was a hit, and by 1891, the Stetson company was producing work and dress hats for both men and women in its nine-acre factory that employed some 5,000 workers. However, following WWII, when men's hats fell out of fashion, Stetson struggled, ultimately closing its Philadelphia factory in 1971 and entering into licensing arrangements with other manufacturers. The company went bankrupt in 1986, but Hat Brands purchased the Stetson factory equipment and license. Through various corporate mergers and sales, Hat Brands became Hatco, Inc., the Garland company currently continuing Stetson's long legacy.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

I've Got Rhythm. . .

You'll be singing that famous jazz ditty by the Gershwin brothers if you buy this marvelous mid-century modern nightstand. By the American furniture maker Lane Company, this walnut table is part of the company's Rhythm line, introduced in 1963 and produced for the rest of that decade. Lane advertised its Rhythm collection as "contemporary" with "bold sweeping accents," "smoothly sculpted legs and rails that flow together," and "clean, fluid lines." In the 1960s, Lane's furniture lines, such as Acclaim, Perception, Rhythm, and Tuxedo, epitomized American mid-century modern design with its simplicity of style, use of natural materials, and the lack of unnecessary embellishment. Lane mid-century modern furniture, featuring fine woods and craftsmanship, is highly sought after today.

Of warm walnut, this table, with its uncluttered curves, would fit in any decor. After some 60 years, this handsome and historical piece of furniture needs just a little TLC to restore it to its original beauty.

Who could ask for anything more?

The Lane family founded the town of Altavista, Virginia, in 1907. The town's proximity to planned railroad links and the Staunton River was important not only to the family's cotton mill, but would help create the Lane Company. In 1912, John Edward Lane purchased a bankrupt packing-box plant in Altavista, which his son, Edward Hudson Lane, converted to a factory making cedar chests, founding the  Standard Red Cedar Chest Company. The chests were marketed as "hope chests" to young women for storing linens, clothing, and other items in anticipation of marriage and setting up a new home. During WWI, the company made ammunition boxes. In 1922, it changed its name to the Lane Company and, thanks to nationwide marketing,  its cedar chests became synonymous with romance and marriage. During WWII, Lane also made aircraft parts. Following the war, the company expanded its design department and hired top designers. The company expanded its offerings in 1951, making occasional or side tables, and in 1956, after acquiring the Bald Knob Furniture Company, Lane began manufacturing dining room, living room, and bedroom furniture. 

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

857-2913

 

Bullseye!

This stunning sterling silver necklace features an unusual design of a flight of arrows converging in the center of a target. 

  

Beautifully crafted and constructed, this substantial necklace curves comfortably around your neck.   

The necklace is stamped on the back of the pendant both "Sterling" and "925," the assay mark for sterling silver, guaranteeing that the metal is 92.5 percent silver. As indicated by the incised "Hecho in Mexico," this unique piece comes from our neighbor to the south; it is also marked "Taxco GRO." "GRO" stands for the Mexican state of Guerrero and Taxco is a city there renown for its fine quality silver and skilled silversmiths. Taxco has long history of silver mining, dating back to pre-Columbian times. Hernan Cortes later claimed Taxco's silver for Spain, and himself, but as the silver veins ran out and other richer mines were located, the mines were closed. In 1716, Spaniard Don Jose de la Borda discovered another rich vein of silver in Taxco and mining began anew. However, during the Mexican War for Independence, the Spanish mine owners destroyed the mines and fled. 

A new chapter in Taxco's silver history opened with the arrival of American William Spratling in the late 1920s. Spartling, an architect, settled in Taxco, attracted by the beauty of the quiet and isolated city. Although he originally settled in Taxco to pursue a writing career, he soon found himself intrigued by Mexican art and crafts. Spratling learned the art of silversmithing and built a workshop hiring local craftspeople to create his designs, often inspired by Aztec and Mayan art. He also started an apprenticeship program to train silversmiths and soon many of his protégés were opening their own workshops. The completion of a highway opened Taxco to tourists and when WWII interrupted the European jewelry industry, high-end American department and jewelry stores began to feature Mexican gold and silver jewelry. The Mexican aesthetic also fit well with the sl]eek lines of the mid-century modern movement.

Although its silver mines have long been closed, Taxco remains a center for silver, with hundreds of workshops creating sterling jewelry and decorative pieces. This vintage piece is signed "Beto." In the first early part of the 20th century, Mexican silver items were marked typically marked "silver" or "sterling," with an assay number indicating the finess of the metal, and often, in addition to "Mexico or "Hecho en Mexico," with the name of the town, as well as the maker.  In 1948 the Mexican government introduced an eagle mark, but it was replaced in the 1980s with a number and letter system, beginning with a letter identifying the location of manufacture (such as "T" for Taxco), as second letter of the silversmith's first or last name, followed by the registration number of the maker.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

1677-1494

You'll Adore. . .

 . . . these doors! Rescued from an antique wardrobe, these exquisite antique doors are ready for some imaginative repurposing. Unique window shutters? A one-of-a-kind headboard for your bedroom? A swinging saloon-style door? A stunning screen? Or even to add an elegant touch to a cabinet or console? All these gorgeous doors need is a little tender loving care and your imagination.

The solid wood doors are gracefully adorned in the epitome of the art nouveau style. Art nouveau was an artistic movement from the 1890s through 1910s that looked to nature for inspiration and is exemplified by undulating and sinuous lines, giving the feeling of movement. The curving lines in the doors are accented by beautifully beveled mirrors. 

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

13790-478

We Have a Bone To Pick with You. . .

. . . and it's doggone gorgeous!

   

Of 18 karat white gold sprinkled with sparkling diamonds, this would be the perfect gift to get you out of the doghouse or to treat yourself if you've been a "good girl."

This pretty petite pendant is from the "Tiny Treasures" line of famed jeweler, Roberto Coin. Born in 1944 in Vicenza, Italy, Coin originally was trained in the hotel trade. However, in 1977, he returned to his birthplace to satisfy his creative passion and study jewelry design. He launched his eponymous brand in 1996. Coin is committed to sustainability, planting trees to neutralize the carbon footprint of his enterprises and ensuring that his diamonds are certified to come from legitimate, conflict-free sources. This whimsical pendant is stamped "18k" and carries Coin's initials, "RC."

Another signature of Coin is that every piece is set with a tiny red ruby on the underside, his secret gift to the wearer. Coin was inspired after reading the ancient Egyptians believed that rubies brought happiness, health, and love.

The original minute clasp appears to have been replaced with a larger one in sterling silver, no doubt to make it easier for the wearer to put on and remove the necklace. 

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

16491-30

Traveling by Travois

This bright and vibrant Western scene depicts Native American women moving a mountain camp using a travois.

A travois was an A-frame structure consisting of a platform or netting mounted on two long poles. It was used extensively by Plains tribes and was dragged by hand, dogs, or, following the Spanish introduction of horses into North America in the 16th century, by actual horse power. The travois was able to travel over a variety of terrains, such as soft soil or snowy ground, that would have been difficult to navigate with wheels. 

The painting is by Sheryl Lamar Bodily (1936-2024). Born in Boise, Idaho, Bodily is renown for his detailed depictions of the West, and especially his respectful portrayals of Native American culture. He began oil painting at the age of 14 and studied commercial art for two years at Brigham Young University in Utah. His richly colored paintings are in numerous public and private collections throughout the world, including the Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell, Montana, and that of the late President Lyndon Johnson. Bodily has received numerous honors and awards, including 1986 Ellensburg Washington Rodeo Association Poster Award and the Goodey Indian Culture Award at the National Art Show.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but this can sell quickly!

3333-13500